by Leanshey Castillo

FETE ELBI 2024. Featured artists this year include Wyre Underground of UPLB (Hip Hop Stage), Lynde (Indie Stage), Embi Steady (Electronic Stage), Gnarrate (Hip Hop Stage) (Photo credits to these artists/Facebook)

A widely sought after French music festival, Fête de la Musique, has made its way to the foot of Mt. Makiling, in the thriving town of Los Baños, Laguna. This yearly event held every June has made a mark on the local music scene since it began in 2019 in Los Baños, enthralling participants with a lineup of diverse, homegrown artists showcasing their original obra maestra. It is held alongside Fête de la Musique PH.

David Villania one of the organizer of Fête de la Musique in Elbi (Kyle Melendres/Facebook)

We got the chance to talk to David Villania III, one of the organizers of the festival’s Los Baños leg and a hip hop artist, who provided us with some background on the festival’s beginnings, goals, and distinctive influence on the town of Elbi.

Fête de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, is an international annual event that happens on June 21. It strives to promote community involvement by giving local musicians a stage on which they can showcase their talent, foster a sense of belonging among those who enjoy music, and support cultural diversity through a variety of musical genres.

The first Fête de la Musique Los Baños leg, or Fête LB, in 2018, according to Villania, was born from the Hip Hop Stage they set up in Pagsanjan, Laguna. The team expanded their idea and crafted four destination stages, including Hip Hop Stage, Indie Acoustic Stage, Rock & Blues Stage, and Party Stage, twice in Los Baños in 2019 and this year (2023) editions because of Sir Harry Tiu’s essential assistance, who provided the space and musical instruments. They want to offer attendees an engaging musical experience by drawing inspiration from Elbi’s several venues.

Collaboration is indispensable to the success of Fête de la Musique, featuring many organizations and groups working together to make it happen. The event is primarily organized by the Laguna Hip Hop artist group, led by Villania, regularly supported by the clothing brand Can’t Ctrl. They also work with gig production and organizations like the UP Jammers’ Club who share their talents and resources in order to gather captivating line-up performers.

Through the combined force of social media and good old-fashioned word of mouth, the flourishing networks amplify the event’s reach and attention by including several production groups, organizations, and artists, luring both local enthusiasts and interested outsiders.

When asked about the local music scene here in Los Baños, Villania showed enthusiasm as an increasing number of driven local artists are fueling the flourishing music scene; the surge of motivated artists has energized the scene and provided a wide range of musical genres and captivating performances for viewers.

Villania’s advice to aspiring local musicians in Los Baños is straightforward but powerful: “Keep it up and enjoy,” urging them to keep honing their skills, build collaborations, seize opportunities to express themselves, and connect with fellow artists. Aspiring musicians may contribute to the local music scene’s ongoing expansion and success by being committed and loving the process.

Although the event’s organizer did not intend for it to have an Elbi touch, Villania thinks that Elbi’s musicians have a unique sound and style that should get more attention. Elbi’s music scene has been reinforced by an upsurge of gigs and an influx of local talent.

Local musicians along with organizations that are eager to take part in Fête de la Musique can get in touch with the gig production coordinators in charge of selecting the event’s lineup. In order to ensure a varied and interesting musical experience for all guests, these organizers diligently seek out ideal musicians along with suitable locations.

In Los Baños, the Fête de la Musique has grown into a remarkable festival of music and community spirit. Due to the dedication of the organizers, performers, and passionate music fans, the event has become a yearly staple of the local local music landscape As Fête de la Musique gets bigger, it intends to captivate music lovers and highlight the incredible talent thriving in Elbi’s center.